Can a person who possess a cellphone or a car receive zakaat

Q: I heard from an Aalim that if a person has a fancy touch screen cellphone, then he cannot be given zakaat.

1) If a person has a cellphone worth R3000k and jewellery worth 3000 and 1000 cash, does zakaat now become wajib on him / can he receive zakaat?

2) If a person has a car worth R500 000, has jewellery worth R10 000, cash R10000 but is in debts for R20 000. So his balance is 0 excluding the expensive car. Can he recieve zakaat? Even though he has such an expensive car?

A:

1. If a person only has a cell-phone and does not possess anything else, he can be given zakaat.

2. The cell-phone is among the necessities of life. When calculating one’s zakaat, one will not include it in one’s zakaatable assets. If the remainder wealth one possesses reaches the nisaab of zakaat (after deducting debts and liabilities) then zakaat is waajib upon him and he will not be eligible to receive zakaat. However, if the remainder wealth does not reach the nisaab of zakaat, then zakaat will not be waajib upon him and he will be eligible to receive zakaat.

3. The car is among the necessities of life and will not be included in one’s zakaatable assets. After excluding his debts, since he is not left with any wealth, he will be eligible to receive zakaat.